David Satcher, Professor at the University of Smithville Janet Crockett, Teacher, Shepherd Elementary School, and children from her first-grade class

What: (Describe the event)

The University of Smithville, along with community members, will host a press conference to release the first-ever Playground Report Card documenting the conditions of more than 40 playspaces throughout the metropolitan area. The University of Smithville is urging the city’s Park and Recreation Department to take notice and action over the disparities among urban and suburban playgrounds.

Where: (Physical Address and Intersection)

Smithville Elementary School Playground 7800 14th Street, NW Smithville, AB 20012 (School is located at the intersection of Jonquil and 14th St., NW)

(Brief facts about the information being presented)

Playground Report Card: Disparities Among Urban and Suburban Playgrounds underscores the critical relationship between residential areas and the condition of playgrounds. Innercity playgrounds are twice as likely to be in poor conditions and lack accessibility due to time restrictions or walking distance. This direct link further confirms that children’s level of physical activity is usually lower in urban areas where play is undervalued. The University of Smithville calls for a citywide partnership to improve public parks and eliminate playground disparities among residential areas.

Press releases are used to announce your play committee’s stand or action on an issue, to evaluate the work of public officials, to

Sample Press Release

For Immediate Release

[Insert Date]

Contact: [Your Name] [Phone Number]

Mayor Appoints Youth to Play Commission

Vienna, Fla. – Mayor Bonds appointed Javier Martinez, age 12, and Lillian Chavez, age 17, to the city’s Play Commission, demonstrating the importance of youth voice in creating an agenda for play. These appointments come at a time when the city is restructuring its recreation programs and services to provide more unstructured play. The Play Commission was one of five commitments the city fulfilled to become nationally recognized as a Playful City USA community in 2007. The Play Commission represents a public-private partnership between the city and its citizens to ensure all children have great and accessible place to play.

“In helping serve youth, the commission realized it needed to know better today’s youth; bringing Javier and Lillian’s voices to the table, who have five years of experience playing outside in Southside neighborhoods, is a major asset when revamping recreational activities for the community,” said Mayor Bonds.

The youth members were selected based on Playmaker—play advocate—qualities: imagination, motivation, playfulness, and leadership skills. The term ‘Playmaker’ and definition were adopted from KaBOOM!, a national nonprofit organization that envisions a great place to play within walking distance of every child in America. This is the same organization that honored Vienna with the Playful City USA recognition in 2007.

Youth Play Commissioners, alongside other Commission members, will be responsible for creating an action plan for play that includes providing unstructured play activities to area children and helping to fundraise and design a tree house, a toddler playground, a skatepark, and water slide.

“On my block, I am known as being the most random and active kid. There isn’t much for us to do here, but that has never stopped us from having a good time and creating games from thin air,” said Martinez. “Hopefully, I will be able to bring some fun into this ‘play’ commission.”

At city hall, Martinez and Chavez were presented with a resolution that listed their one-year term on the Play Commission.

For further information, please visit the parks and recreation department website at yourcitypark@city.us. The site offers in-depth information about the KaBOOM! Playmaker Network and the department’s action plan for play.

Press release tips

Use the proper format. For the first page, use letterhead that includes your committee’s logo, address, and phone number. On the left-hand side, write "FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE" and underneath, write the date of your release. On the right-hand side, write "Contact:" followed by the contact's name and phone number. End the release by typing "###" in the center of the line, which indicates that the news release is finished.

Keep it simple and short. Your press release should be no longer than a page and read like a news story. Use a headline to attract the reader’s attention. The first paragraph should cover your main point, followed by a catchy quote, then statistics or additional information that follows the points of the first paragraph. You should end your release with another quote.

Send it and follow up. Send your release to your media list and always follow up with reporters.

How do you follow up with reporters?

Begin your phone conversation with “Are you on deadline?” If the answer is yes, ask for a good time to call back. If the answer is no, you have thirty to sixty seconds to pitch your release.

When you call, be organized and have a short pitch ready for your release.

Offer to send additional information or re-send the release.

Always return reporters' phone calls ASAP!

"It is a happy talent to know how to play." – Ralph Waldo Emerson, American poet and philosopher, 1802–1883